Love Tasered Mischief
by AbynormalBrain
Summary: Darcy is stuck with Loki. She is hard pressed not to like him and eventually, she learns a thing or two about herself and gets into a serious mess.
1. Chapter 1

The few days following the end of_The Avengers._

If Darcy Lewis hated one thing, it was being woken up too early, especially on weekends. She awoke with a feeling of something watching her. Refusing to open her eyes for fear that the monster in the horror flick she watched before bed was standing in her room, she waited for the feeling to go away.

"Darcy?" A strong, cultured voice cut through the silence.

"Shit!" She cursed with a jolt, reaching for her taser.

It took a few moments for her mind to wake up and remember who the voice belonged to. It was only Thor. Only Thor? She laughed at the thought. Yeah, she knew the God of Thunder personally.

She looked up, not only did Thor take her taser as a precaution, but he wasn't alone. A tall, lean, black haired, green eyed man with shackles around his wrists and a muzzle was with him. His hair was nearly shoulder length and slicked back out of eyes. He was dressed in similar attire as Thor with green accents. He looked utterly annoyed to be there and embarrassed of his companion.

"Dude? You just barged in my house, without knocking on the door or ringing freaking the doorbell?"

Thor looked confused. He probably didn't know what a doorbell was.

"Whatever. It's not a big deal." She shook her head in annoyance. She felt very silly sitting there in her messed up bed, her nerd-tastic bedroom and baggy Lady Gaga concert tee. "What do you need, Thor?"

"This is my brother, Loki. I'm sure you've heard of him."

Oh yes. Darcy had heard of him; for the past forty-eight hours the news was covering his hissy fit and had heard of him a few odd times in the mythology class she took her freshman year in college. She looked at him wearily. He had a look of 'for everything that is good and holy in this world, get me out of here and away from this oaf.'

"Does he bite?" She asked, cautiously, referring to the muzzle. He looked pissed at that question, like, 'I shall set you a blaze' pissed.

"No. It's to keep him from quiet. I've brought him here with a favor to ask of you. Our family and Asgard shall compensate you should you acquiesce."

Gods compensate her? That would be freaking sweet! She was totally going to ask for a light saber, or smaller feet. She would have to think about it.

By then, Loki's eyes zeroed in on Darcy's definition of 'wall art'. Four books with a black, red and white color scheme on the covers with a wooden stake through each of them, was adhered to the wall. If Loki wasn't Loki, he'd be worried about staying with this mortal just by seeing that.

"Ok. What do you need me do?"

"I need you to watch my brother while he is banished from Asgard for abusing his powers."

"WHAT? She screeched.

"It is only temporary."

"How temporary!?" She yelled. This was _not __what she wanted to wake up to!_

Thor was silent, "I don't know." he muttered.

Darcy glared at him, "Come again."

"It depends on Loki. He must earn his powers, much like I once did."

"Why can't you watch him or your parents?"

"I'm afraid I cannot. I must help rebuild the part of the city that was destroyed and do not have the time have time to watch him. Like I said, he is banished from Asgard, Mother and Father cannot watch him."

Darcy was silent for a few moments, trying to puzzle this thing out to get her way. She was good at that. She snapped her fingers at the sudden realization. "What, about S.H.I.E.L.D?" She pointed at the two gods. "Yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D's good." She said more to herself to reassure herself that no mischievous god would be bunking with her.

"Darcy, I'd hate to know that my brother is locked up in a cell alone. It would weigh too heavily upon my heart. I want him in a decent place."

"Why not Jane then?" She countered. She really didn't want the man responsible for decimating half of Manhattan in her house that she just moved into. She had some very valuable stuff in her possession! Like first editions of Harry Potter signed by JK Rowling herself! She was fairly certain Loki was a shape shifter. Well, her lease was strictly no pets!

Thor said nothing; Darcy knew why she was chosen over Jane.

"Oh it's because you don't him annoying her. I see what you're getting at. He is the God of mischief. Don't want your little brother rifling through your new girlfriend's diary." She said sarcastically. There was no getting out of this situation.

"No," The buff god said defensively. Darcy gave him a knowing look. "Well partly," He confessed. "You two are a great match for each other! You both have the same humor!" Thor said, grinning from ear to ear, looking back and forth to Darcy and Loki.

Darcy thought about it for a few long moments. Thor did save her life several times and she would get something super awesome in return. "Fine." She groaned.

"Thank you Darcy! My family, the Nine Realms and I greatly appreciate your service." The Thunder God looked positively beside himself in relief.

"Yeah, yeah, sure whatever. Let's get this over with. Just give me my taser back." She ordered, standing up, going toe to toe with Thor, and trying to look fearsome. She only looked silly.

"Here." He said, handing the weapon back.

"Anything I should know about him? Allergies? Diseases or disorders? Deformities? Life threatening fears?" Darcy asked darkly as she led Thor and his brother to the front door.

"Do not give him coffee." Thor said as though it was a serious issue. "You will regret it."

She snorted. "Well that's a no brainer, giving the God of Mischief coffee. That's like giving a crack addict crack." Thor looked at Darcy, obviously not understanding the reference. "Whatever. Yeah I got it, no coffee for Loki. Your brother is in safe hands." Just as the last syllable left her mouth, a picture hanging from the wall in front of Thor and behind Loki and Darcy, fell, its glass shattering loudly. Through the muzzle, Darcy could hear Loki grumble.

With one final look at the now twosome, Thor swung his hammer, and was gone.

Darcy sighed. She sincerely hoped this stay would be a short one. "Want a poptart?' she asked, boredly.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: From here on, I will explore how Loki feels about being a Norse God in a Christian-ruled country. This chapter may be blasphemous. Don't expect me to apologize for my art.

Loki had only been in Darcy's custody for six hours.

"Jane. I'm living with a crazy person," Darcy hushed quickly into her cell phone. "He's eating all my food, reading all my books, freezing me to death with the a/c and drinking all my water! The meter reader actually came by, thinking I had a leak because of all the water he's consuming! He has stolen my Ipod and finished all the levels in Unblock Me in thirty minutes! Right now, he's reading _Watchmen_. He's laughing. _Laughing._ No one laughs when reading _Watchmen._ I think he's taking notes! Should I be scared? I'm scared. We should be scared. What if he reads my _Hunger Games_ books or my Rebellion Era _Star Wars_ novels! They're in his to read pile; he's bound to get ideas from those for his reign as a King!"

"Oh, he can't be that bad," Jane soothed, Darcy was prone to blow things out of proportion.

"Yeah, kinda like a tornado is just a bit of wind." Darcy said, peering behind the hallway corner at Loki in the living room, reading. She turned away from the reading deity and leaned against the wall, her head purposely hitting the wall loudly in her annoyance.

"Are Thor and Loki really that different from one another?"

"Well, this one is actually somewhat polite. He may have eaten all my food," Darcy yelled the last sentence to Loki, "but he didn't leave behind as big of a mess as Thor would and uses his table manners. And there's a possibility to have an intelligent conversation with him. And he hates Pop Tarts."

"Are you aware that I can indeed hear you?" Loki asked, right into her ear.

Darcy yelped, reaching for her taser by reflex. She dropped her phone, disconnecting the call. "You can't do that shit to people! Do you know how rude it is? God!" Darcy bent down to retrieve her phone and walked out of the hall to put plug it back into its charger. Loki followed; he was never one to abandon a good verbal spar.

"Do you know how rude it is to talk about your house guests? And please, stop using my title in vain. Its irritating." he countered, all he wanted to do was drive Darcy up the wall. And it was working.

"Do you know how rude it is to destroy half of Manhattan, or how irritating _you_ are?" Darcy yelled folding her arms.

"Manhattan was filthy. I should be thanked for ridding the land of that blight. "

'There's something not quite right about him. Was he dropped on his head as an infant?' Darcy thought to herself. She couldn't be bothered with the questions now, she was losing the battle. "How rude of you not to properly introduce yourself."

"How rude of _you_. On Asgard, the homeowner always introduces his or herself first, not the guest."

"Yeah, well, I'm just renting for now. Anyway, I'm Darcy Lewis." She curtsied, sarcastically. "That better?"

"I am Loki, god of mischief. I am the annoyances in your day to day life, the fallen eyelash in your eye, what trips you up in front of a large crowd. I am the lies politicians and ex-lovers tell, but I am everything that makes life worth living. I am the feeling you get when you finish school for the summer, the maker of long nights with your greatest friends you'll never forget."

Darcy smiled. Maybe he wasn't going to be that bad. "Well, I think we'll both survive this experience then. I think I have a lot to thank you for too."

"I was the one who gave you and your friends the idea to wrap an absent friend's vehicle in old holiday wrapping paper."

Darcy grinned dreamily, remember the cold night. "That _was_ a fun night. I still have those pictures on Facebook. Wait, have you been watching me or something?"

"No. Gods do not play favorites. Your group was merely the benefactors by happenstance."

"Uh huh, well, I'm going to try and scrounge up a dinner with whatever ingredients you left in the kitchen. Is it safe to say you're not hungry?"

"No. I'm famished." Loki replied curtly.

"You ate an entire bundle of bananas and grapes half an hour ago! Where are you putting it!" Darcy questioned, poking Loki in the stomach, only hitting hard armor. "Are you bulimic or something? Geez. That's the last thing I need, banana and grape god vomit clogging my plumbing."

"You are revolting."

"Well get used to it," Darcy said searching the cabinets for dinner. All Loki left was Pop Tarts. She groaned, closing the cabinets. She walked over to a bookcase and pulled off what a Midgardian would recognize a Death Star model. She twisted the middle, it came apart and she dumped the contents on the table. Inside were dollar bills and change.

"This was my I-Pad fund, until you came along. Or was it my concert fund?" She asked herself, aloud thoughtfully. "Could be it was my Sephora shopping spree? No, no, it was my DeviantArt print fund. Whatever, needless to say, now it looks like its grocery money. Thanks for that." Darcy said flatly. "I really don't want to brave Wal-Mart right now, primetime for soccer moms to do their shopping with their grimy and screaming kids. I most certainly do not want to leave you here by yourself and I do not have the cojones to take you with me. So allow me to introduce you to the joys of ordering in."

By the time the pizza arrived, Loki had finished reading _Watchmen_ and was midway through a book about Darth Vader.

"I am not eating that." Loki said in disgust as he looked at the greasy pizza.

"Whatever, more for me." Darcy shrugged. "After everything you ate, I think you'll last until tomorrow morning. I'm thinking Ihop; I think Ihop is worth taking you into public."

"I am glad I'm not the stigma you once believed me to be." Loki said with a sarcastic smile. "I feel I should tell you that high cholesterol killed your great grandfather, not the fishing accident as your family believes."

That made Darcy put down her second slice. "How do you know all this stuff?"

"I'm a _God, _Ms. Lewis. If I want to know something, I already know it since I have seen it or willed it to be or I can summon it." Loki had a dark look in his emerald eyes, as though he were unfairly slighted. "For thousands of years, I along with other gods and goddesses were worshipped. Now, my followers are shunned. All for a deity that doesn't exist."

"You're preaching to the choir, dude. Anyone who is slightly different either has it beaten out of them or is ostracized. Thankfully, we're a Blue state; people are usually more liberal here."

Loki was silent for several moments. "What exactly are you schooled in? Thor once told me, but I rarely listen to him."

"Political science. Now that I met you and adoptive brother, I want to study Asgard and its godly government/hierarchy like Freud would Charles Manson."

Loki chuckled, which caught Darcy off guard. "Wait, you understood that reference?"

"Yes. Unlike Thor, I do not shirk my responsibilities as a god. I actually do watch over Midgard and its inhabitants. So? Will I be sleeping on this torture device you call a couch or do I get the luxury of a bed?"

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Just I bought a bed for the guest room. That's the only thing in there, though."

Darcy went to her room not long after dinner and showed Loki to his room. She couldn't deny the familiar or déjà vu feeling she got every time she thought of or saw Loki, even before they met. He was like a melody she had heard long ago, but couldn't quite place the when, the where, or the circumstance she heard it. For the first split second of every glance he cast at her, she knew he felt it too with a twinge of disbelief, then denial.

She really hoped he didn't snore. The walls were paper thin.

A/N:

My friends and I did totally wrap a vehicle in old wrapping paper


	3. Chapter 3

Early the next morning (actually it was midafternoon, but Darcy went by her own time), Darcy went out to IHOP for breakfast with Loki. However, that was after the argument about Loki's armor.

"You are not going out in public like that." Darcy warned, seeing him still in his armor.

"I'm afraid I am, Miss Lewis." Loki replied, not concerned with Darcy's 'request'.

"I am your glorified babysitter. I'm supposed to keep you from hurting or scaring anyone. If you go out dressed like that, people will recognize you and go ape shit. Police will be called, the S.H.I.E.L.D will be called and you'll be hauled off to a maximum security prison and I'll be the one blamed. That is not on my bucket list."

"Will you stop harassing me if I do?" Loki inquired.

"In this subject, yeah." Darcy replied evenly, crossing her arms.

A few moments later, Loki returned wearing the Midgardian clothes Jane had brought over earlier. "I feel ridiculous."

"Get used to it. You aren't going into public with your armor while you're with me." Darcy replied, headed to her car.

Only a few minutes of Darcy's driving, Loki wished he had his armor on. "Who gave you a license to drive?!" He exclaimed, gripping the seat.

Darcy had accidentally run several red lights, cut off four other drivers and other examples of recklessness. She didn't even notice. "What do you have to worry about? You're immortal!" She wasn't concerned with her driving abilities, or lack thereof.

"I'm not without my powers! Regardless, if I did, I am not willing to test it, knowing my luck!"

"Pft. Quit being dramatic." Darcy said as turned sharply into a parking space.

"Oh god," Darcy muttered, sinking in her seat. She knew one of the waitresses, Michelle, from several of her undergrad classes, that and, their mothers were good friends. Darcy hoped she wouldn't recognize her. Michelle would tell her mother about Loki and her mother would tell Darcy's mother and it would be a whole big deal. Darcy really didn't know how to explain that a Norse God was staying with her.

It took only a few seconds for Michelle to see Darcy. "Darcy! I haven't seen you since graduation! How are you doing?" She hugged Darcy like they were old friends.

Darcy smiled and returned Michelle's, "I'm good, I was just hired as a political analyst in the city. So, I'm savoring my freedom before I start next week."

"Lucky. I'm still on the 'real' job hunt. Who is this?" Michelle asked, smiling at Loki.

Loki looked up at Michelle; "I am Lo-" He was cut off by Darcy.

Darcy quickly made up a name. "This is Tom!" She said hurriedly.

Michelle didn't look suspicious, so she probably believed her. "Nice to meet you, Tom! You look familiar, where have I seen you?"

"You may have seen me on several news reports." Loki grinned mischievously. A half a second later, Darcy quickly kicked him in the shins. Loki gave her a look that said, 'Did you really just kick me?'

"Yeah, he's always saving lives, miraculously." Darcy quickly explained. Before Michelle could reply, another waitress came by asking for Michelle's help.

"It was nice to see you, Darcy, good luck with your new job! It was nice to meet you, Tom!" She said smiling and rushed off.

"You have no remorse! You really don't understand what you did wrong to get yourself here, do you?" Darcy said through gritted teeth. Loki was like an undisciplined two year old!

"Other than scaring, killing and maiming innocent mortals, no I do not." Loki replied casually, shrugging his shoulders. "You said it yourself; you live in a country where one religion is slowly taking over. A religion that that has just as much blood on its ledger as Ms. Romanoff's and nearly wiped out several other religions. This country wants 'God' in its policies, while it clearly has a law separating church and state. Well, what's different than me and that particular god? Other than the fact that, oh I don't know, that I'm real?" Loki spoke as though he were discussing some banal subject, like the weather, rather than a serious one like this. That troubled Darcy.

"You're starting to sound like Hitler. I thank _ODIN _that the Avengers got to you when they did. What were you planning on doing to the people who didn't want to follow you? Put them in concentration camps? Make them fight for their lives in the Hunger Games? You know what, I don't want to know. I think we're done here." She quickly paid for the meals and headed to her car with Loki close behind.

They avoided each other until late that evening. Darcy stayed in her bedroom until then. She was curled up in the corner of the couch with a sketchbook and pencil in her pajamas. Loki took it as a sign she was ready to talk to him again.

"What is this?" Loki asked, looking over Darcy's shoulder at the drawing in her notebook. He recognized it. He saw the Japanese culture create similar drawings.

Darcy blushed, slightly embarrassed. Loki loved the rosy tint to her cheeks. "It's a comic. Well, a manga, actually. I've worked the story ever since I was a little kid. I was a sick child in and out of the hospital. Nothing too interesting or fatal, thankfully. I would write the story, create the characters while I endured all the treatments. I started drawing it a couple years ago. I want to publish it one day. Even if it only sells twenty copies, I'll be happy. Guess I'm kinda dedicated to it."

"Endured…dedicated." Loki whispered. Darcy didn't hear him. She wasn't supposed to. Loki was thinking and it involved Darcy. He wasn't ready to admit his theory, though.

"What did you mean you aren't 'necessarily' immortal?" Darcy asked curiously, closing the sketchbook.

"The only way to kill a deity, other than by another deity, is for the mortals to forget him or her. A new religion spreads in popularity and the old deities' loose power and eventually die without followers. It happened to my wife." He replied, still slightly lost in his thoughts.

"You were married?" Darcy asked in disbelief. Her screech of a question grabbed him from his thoughts.

"Yes, but I doubt the way you've come to know. Its called hand fasting, where the bride and grooms hands are tied together and rings, vows and a kiss are exchanged. I still am if you ask me." He replied, a tone of sadness lacing his voice as he sat down next to her.

"Aww, like Monk. That's sweet. What was her, or his, I don't judge, name?"

"My wife was named Sigyn, the goddess of devotion, she truly was." He smiled, remembering her, "To our children, she was utterly devoted to them, her parents, our friends, her followers here on Midgard, if anyone needed anything, she would do everything she could to help." He hung his head, sadness reemerging in his voice, "Devotion to me. It killed her, after one of our sons was taken from us, which I have no qualms in admitting it was my fault. She died of heartbreak. I caused her so much pain and her followers abandoned her. It was a year ago, on Asgard."

Loki was silent. Darcy could tell he was reliving painful memories. "I didn't know you had kids. I thought you weren't that old." She said trying to draw him out of his revere, but she wanted to slap herself for that last sentence. She didn't mean to call him old!

Loki looked up and chuckled with a smile, "How old do you think I am?"

"Well, you've been around ever since the dawn of human race. I'd hate to insult a god with a foolish answer. It's just, we look the same age. You look young."

"True, I am young and I had children when I was young, even for a deity. For every five thousand, give or take, Midgard years, a deity will age a year on Asgard. I have two children through Sigyn, and some" he searched for the word, 'pets.'"

They both guffawed. "Yeah, I know about Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Sleipnir." She said.

"I beg you, don't trust all of mythology." He said quickly. They both starting laughing once more.

Darcy silenced a few moments later, taking in his words.

"Where are your children now? She asked.

"On Asgard, in Odin's custody. My son Vali, he will be fourteen in Asgard years this summer. My youngest, Narvi was killed."

"Oh god, Loki, I'm so sorry." She said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"I am too." He said, with subtle anger and hatred in his voice


	4. Chapter 4

Loki had been living with Darcy for about a month before Thor showed up.

She had started her new job a few weeks prior. She trusted Loki slightly more to be left alone. Not that he had proven himself trustworthy; it was that she had no other choice but to trust him. By that time, Darcy invested in locks to keep Loki out of her fridge and pantry or from messing with the a/c controls. Only hours or sometimes minutes later, she would find them destroyed and the contents of her fridge nearly gone. In retaliation, Darcy would write the ending of a book Loki was reading in plain view, thus ruining it for him. Then he'd delete the entirety of her Itunes library. It quickly became a game for the two, who could riddle the other with madding annoyances. Loki was no longer the inconvenience in her life and if she was honest with herself, she would be sad to see him go.

One Saturday morning, there was a familiar pounding at the door followed shortly by several rings of the doorbell.

'Looks like Thor learned how to use a doorbell.' She thought, 'I really hate being woken up early on my days off.'

Groaning, Darcy dramatically rolled out of bed and shuffled to the door like a zombie. Woken up the commotion, Loki emerged from his room and followed her to the door. Thor needed to understand when it was the appropriate time to wake someone up.

"What!?" Both asked, Darcy yelled, Loki asked tersely.

Thor looked like a startled kitten after that greeting. "Darcy needs to come to Asgard to report to father on your progress." Thor said to Loki, who was the one who was slightly more alert and coherent.

That woke Darcy up, "What?" She asked, straightening up from leaning on the side of the door, eyes wide open. "Why? Jane didn't have to report back!"

"Thor also did not try to enslave Midgard while possessed by the scepter. Odin trusts him, not me, apparently." Loki replied in frustration.

"How should I dress? Formally, casual?" Darcy asked sarcastically but was genuinely uncertain what she needed to wear.

"A dress would suffice." Loki replied.

"Got it. Come in Thor, make yourself comfortable. Stay out of my kitchen!" She exclaimed, pointing at the already on edge god of thunder.

It took Darcy quite a bit longer than usual to get ready, she actually took her time doing her hair and put on makeup. Everything went well until it came to her dress; all her dresses were for going out and not proper to meet a god.

_The_ god.

The head honcho.

The god in charge of other gods. That reduced Darcy to standing in front of her closet, going through her dresses over and over again, cursing.

"Darcy. Odin is not a patient soul." Loki said through the door.

"Shut up! I'm coming!" She exclaimed, pulling out a simple black dress that she would pair with a white shrug and flats. Calling it good, she left her room and found Thor snooping around the kitchen. Grabbing the squirt bottle she used on Loki when he annoyed her (much like one would use to train a cat) and squirted the elder brother. "Get out of there!"

Startled, Thor jumped and knocked over the cereal and other boxes on top of the fridge. Today obviously wasn't Thor's day. Darcy almost felt bad for him. Almost. She noticed Loki was back in his armor.

"C'mon ladies, let's get this show on the road." Darcy said jokingly. She followed them outside. Thor began to swing his hammer. Loki pulled Darcy close to him, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder. They had never been that close and Darcy loved the feeling of being in Loki's arms. And god, did he smell good.

Suddenly, they were jolted up in the air at an incredible speed. Darcy couldn't tell if she really screamed or not, she was concentrating on not letting go of Loki and he tightened his protective embrace around her. She wondered if this is what it felt like to be sucked through a Portkey. Just as quickly as it all started, it ended and they were standing in large elaborate, gold dome. A man with golden armor and matching eyes stood in the middle, facing them.

Loki did not remove his arm from around her waist as he and Thor led her to their intended destination. The man in the armor's eyes followed her, "Welcome back," he said, knowingly.

She didn't know what he meant.

Outside, her breath was taken away from her. They were standing on what she knew was the newly rebuilt Bifrost. It glittered and shimmered with an otherworldly power. Under the bridge was a dark ocean that looked bottomless. The buildings ahead of them were golden as well and a few seemed to be suspended in the air. In the distance was a large structure which she assumed was the palace. In the sky, several planets were visible. This all seemed so familiar to Darcy. Had she dreamed of a place similar to Asgard before? She must have.

Darcy noticed the horses secondly, a black one and a white one. She could guess which was whose. "Have you ridden a horse before, Darcy?" Loki asked.

"Uh no." She giggled nervously.

"Well, you're lucky to have me then." He replied, helping her on to the saddle. After she was comfortable, he sat behind her. "Come a little closer," Loki said, pulling Darcy closer to his body. "Ready?" He asked. She could practically hear the grin on his face.

"Yeah, go." She replied. Thor took off quickly on his white horse, "But not that fast!" She warned.

He chuckled, "Of course not."

Loki took a hold of the reins and squeezed the side of the horse with the heels of his boots. The horse started walking at a trot.

They passed through a city center. People looked at Loki in awe, news of Loki's betrayal was probably hidden from them and probably wondered who was with weird girl with their Prince. It was an oddly beautiful place. It looked like it was in the past, but simultaneously had a look of the future.

"Are these people gods too?" Darcy whispered to Loki.

"No. They are humans." He replied.

"So they're dead?"

"On Midgard, yes. Here, they are truly alive."

"Can we try to find my grandfather after?" She asked hopefully. When most girls were daddy's girls, she was grandpa's girl and they were very close. Years of smoking started to claim him when was twelve. When he was hospitalized for the final time when she sixteen, she never left is side for more than a few hours. She was there when he died. Although, Darcy missed out on a lot of things (a big dance, a concert, a midnight release of a movie and nights out with her friends) when she was with him there, she never once regretted her final days with him.

"I'm sorry, Darcy, but I cannot allow you to see him." Loki replied. She could hear the regret in his voice. Regret over the fact he could not allow their reunion.

"Oh." Darcy said, trying to hide the disappointment.

Loki hated being a god sometimes and this one of them, "He talks about you lot, from what I hear and is very proud of you."

"He does?!" Darcy asked happily, tears of joy threatening to fall. Loki felt better, knowing she was happy once again. "So he can see me?"

"Yes, he also visits you on occasion. Everyone here can do such things with their loved ones." Loki answered.

When they arrived at the palace, Thor was waiting for them. Loki jumped off first and helped Darcy down as two servants led the horses to their stables.

As they approached the throne room, Darcy was getting nervous. She could talk to anyone, but meeting with Odin wasn't just 'anyone'. What if she said something that put Loki in more trouble? What if Odin was pleased with Loki's behavior and let him come home?

The throne room was again encrusted in gold (she was beginning to see a pattern here). Thousands of Asgardian soldiers stood at attention at the sides of the room, leaving only a strip of clear space to walk down. At the end, Odin sat, with a woman at his side. Darcy assumed she was Thor and Loki's mother.

Odin was a strong man with white hair and beard. A silver eye patch covered his left eye and wore similar armor to Thor. Darcy was usually good at reading people, but she couldn't tell what kind of mood Odin was in.

Their mother, however, had her mood plastered on her face. She looked like she was surprised, astonished, confused when she looked at Darcy.

"Leave us." Odin said impassively to the soldiers as Thor, Loki and Darcy stood at Odin's feet. The soldiers bowed and left the room, quickly and quietly.

"Darcy Lewis." Odin said in a calm, but strong voice. "You have been asked to keep a watchful eye over my youngest as per his punishment. I ask you, how has his behavior been?"

"Well, uh, he is the god of mischief." Darcy said dumbly, "Uh yeah, he's very mischievous, but hey I am too. So I'm able to dish it right back. That being said, he hasn't done anything alarming."

"I see. Loki, my son, do you have anything to say?" Odin inquired.

"Not that you would care, but I feel I was not tried fairly. I was under the control the scepter and my actions were not my own." Loki said coolly. "I would think someone would have noticed when my eyes went from green to an unnatural shade of blue." He added sarcastically.

"You will be permitted to return home once you realize you went to the scepter under your own free will and volition and how this sophomoric mistake has affected your family and followers. If you continue to act in an unbecoming manner, you will face an end much like Sigyn did," Odin warned, anger straining his voice.

"Don't you dare drag her into this!" Loki roared pointing menacingly at Odin. "She did not deserve what happened to her and did nothing to bring it on! She was an unfortunate victim of what Midgardians call progress!"

"You know very well what happens on Midgard is meant to happen. The death of Narvi only compounded her with pain of losing her followers. No one blames her son." Their mother soothed.

"You ordained it! You yourself are responsible for what happens on Midgard!" Loki accused Odin.

"On Midgard, son. Not here. I cannot ordain the death of my own kind. No one knew how Sigyn would be affected. You know where Sigyn is and who she has become, I do not understand why you're upset." Odin replied calmly.

Loki was silent for several seconds, the only sound that was heard was his labored breathing. Darcy could practically see the internal maelstrom of emotions behind his eyes that caused it. "Let me see my son!" Loki yelled.

"I'm sorry, Loki, but I cannot allow you to see him." Odin replied.

"What have you told him!? Have you planted ideas in his head, that his father no longer loves him or told him the truth about what his father has done and who he is?!"

"Vali knows you love him, brother, and was told you went to Midgard help your followers. We would never tell him such atrocities." Thor replied, earnestly.

Darcy could tell Loki was about to twist Thor's words, but Odin spoke before Loki could.

"Since you are doing better than we thought you would, I will overlook your current disrespect. Are you learning anything, my son?" Odin asked, hoping for a positive response, though everyone knew from his previous outburst it was in vain.

Loki said nothing, not looking Odin in the eye.

"You still have much to learn." Odin said solemnly.

Within a blink of an eye, Loki and Darcy were back on Midgard, in Darcy's living room.

"Loki, I'm so sorry." She said, embracing the god. The action surprised both of them, but neither pulled away and he wrapped his arms around her. It felt right.

She knew his quietly crying. She could feel his tears. He only wanted to see his son. Darcy's heart was breaking for him. Even the life of a god was unfair and that left a sour taste in her mouth.

After several moments, Loki calmed and she pulled away enough to look until his eyes, "Go change, we're going to the park for some fresh air."

The park was within walking distance of her house. Together, they sat on a bench, people watching.

"What's it like being a God?" Darcy asked suddenly, remembering how Loki was slighted and her earlier thought about even a god's life was unfair.

"What's it like being mortal?" He countered.

"Boring, but with a sense of impending doom." Darcy replied, shrugging.

Silence engulfed them for a few a moments.

"I hear voices." Loki finally said.

Darcy scooted away from him, teasingly.

He chuckled and Darcy felt better seeing him smile, "No, no, it's normal for a god. It's prayers."

"Does it bother you?" She asked.

"No. It's second nature to me."

"How do you know someone is your follower?"

"How do you know someone is your family?" He countered again.

They became silent once more.

"I wouldn't have hurt anyone who wouldn't follow me. Knowingly. The scepter tends to change your mind for you." He said quietly, self-disdain lacing his voice. Darcy knew he felt terrible for what he done under the scepter's spell. The only reason why he was still with her was because Odin needed him to understand why he was drawn to it and fix it. He needed to mend his relationship with his followers too.

"Why do you and Thor not look alike? Or like your parents for that matter?" Darcy asked innocently.

"I'm not of Asgard. I'm was born of Jotunheim, another godly realm. My birth parents abandoned me. I was deformed by their standards I guess. Odin found me after the war between him and my birth father. He saw I was a shape shifter. Apparently, I was so adept at a young age, I did not know this form, was not my true form. I changed to this form when Odin found me, from what I was told. I've only learned this recently."

"Can I see?" She asked cautiously, not wanted to offend him.

Loki was silent for few a moments, thinking about if he would do it and how to do it without causing mass hysteria amongst the Midgardians.

Quickly, he grabbed Darcy's hand, holding it. She thought nothing of it until his hand became colder than it usually was. She could only just stand its coldness. She looked at his hand, and it was dark blue with raised patterns in his skin. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"My entire body turns this shade of blue and my eyes red. It's quite frightful, really. Jotunheim is frozen tundra, which explains why I prefer colder temperatures."

Suddenly a little girl walked up to Darcy and Loki. Darcy saw that around her neck, was a pentagram necklace. She felt the temperature in his hand normalize, but neither removed their hand.

"Are you Loki?" The child asked innocently, twirling a slightly wilted sunflower in between her little fingers and holding a little grey kitten.

Loki smiled. It was the most genuine smile she ever saw on him. "Yes, I am and you are Ellie, am I right?"

She smiled widely and nodded vigorously, but then her visage saddened and she looked down. "Why did you do all of that bad stuff?" she asked quietly.

That stabbed Darcy right in the heart. Only for instant, she saw it had the same effect on Loki, but he quickly hid it.

"Well, sometimes I get upset. I was only trying to help, but I got a little carried away."

"My mommy is really sick. She's been in the hospital for a very long time and all her hair felled out. Can you help her? I'm not old enough to cast any spells yet." Emily asked, hopefully.

Loki leaned closer to the little girl, as if he were telling her a secret, "You're mother will be ok."

She smiled, and gave him the sunflower. Darcy saw as soon it touched his hands, the flower regained its life. He smiled and gave the flower back to her. Just as quickly as she showed up, she was gone.

"Ok, a couple of questions; How did you do that to the flower if you don't have your powers and how did she know who you are?" Darcy asked.

"Mortals cannot go to Asgard if they are not dead. Odin had to restore my godhood for me to return. He has yet to take it away. He's testing me. As for your last question, children are uncorrupted by the lies of daily life. They see the truth. It's cliché, but true."

"Were you telling her the truth about her mother?" She asked seriously.

"I was. Her mother would have recovered from the cancer regardless if the child asked me, though I'll make sure she has a quicker recover than she would have."

"So what's my fate then?" Darcy challenged.

"I don't know. I cannot see it."

"Pft, don't give me that Twilight bullshit." She grumbled.

"I cannot see your fate because I'm involved in it somehow. I can only see your past. If I'm involved in the way I think I am, which I certainly hope not, you'd rather not know. Everyone I love gets hurt."

"Wait? What? Did you just say you loved me?" She exclaimed.

Loki sighed, "You are her. You're Sigyn, my wife and Goddess of Devotion. The Goddess that Endured. You're devoted to the story you are writing and will not quit until you can hold it in your hands. Your childhood friend was in a car accident several years ago, the same time you wanted to go to a concert you had saved months for. The minute you heard about her, you rushed to the hospital to be with her until her parents could be there with her. Because you live so far away from your family, you call every single one of them each Sunday, from you parents to your cousins, just to say you love them. It takes you all afternoon, but you know it's the right thing to do. I can go and on, Sigyn. That's why you were able to come to Asgard today."

Darcy was silent for several moments, "Why am I a human if I was a goddess?"

"You were reincarnated. You were," He thought for the right word, "demoted."

Darcy started laughing uncontrollably. The word 'demoted' and the way he said it was hilarious. Loki couldn't help but join her.

Suddenly, she kissed him and she wondered how she ever lived without his kisses. "I love you, too." She said smiling, sincerely.

He smiled, "I love you, Sigyn and I'm glad to have you back." He kissed her with all the love he had for her, remembering everyday he was without her and rejoicing at having back.

They pulled away, but kept each other in a loving embrace. "So Narvi and Vali are my sons?" she asked.

"They are. Narvi misses you terribly. Did you have any suspicions? A few souls are able to recover fragments of memories from their former lives."

"Yeah, when I first met you I felt like I already knew you and Asgard felt familiar to me, but that's about it. Does my life change at all after this, knowing who I really am?"

"No, it doesn't have too. After you die, you will return to Asgard as Sigyn." Loki answered. "Unlike human souls, a god or goddess will only live one human life before returning to their home realm."

"What about when you can return to Asgard? Will I be able to see Narvi before I die?"

"I cannot stay any longer than Odin allows me too. If I stay on Midgard without his permission for too long, I will become mortal with no way of reversing it. I can come for short visits, however and I may be able to bring Narvi along too."

Darcy smiled, burrowing deeper into his embrace as a comfortable silence settled on them.

"And don't remind me of Twilight. That was one of my bad jokes that got out of hand. I didn't think anyone would like it."

Darcy couldn't help but laugh.

"I have a lot of work to do, don't I?" Loki asked, knowingly, referring to his punishment.

"Yep. You do, but I'll be there to help you."

Author's note: I'm going horseback riding for the first time since I was kid, Sunday, wish me luck! I know I promised on DeviantArt to post it tonight (August 31/September 1). While it was finished within that timeline, I usually take a few hours off of the story to regain my perspective. That was what delayed it.


End file.
